Persistence
by foolofatook001
Summary: "You foolish waterbender! You've ruined everything! Why did you have to look?" A retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche, Avatar style. AU. Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Whoa! It's not a oneshot! So this is a retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche, Avatar style. The beginning of this story has appeared in a previous work of mine in a condensed form (part of the Avatar: The Last Writer Competition) but is here expanded and more fleshed out. This is most definitely an AU. Enjoy!

* * *

 _A long time ago, in the time of Avatar Roku, there lived a waterbender - Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She was so powerful, and so beautiful, that when she grew to be sixteen years of age, people began saying that she must be the spirit of Water itself. The people came from all four nations to watch her bending. Many young men came also, seeking to admire her beauty. Her father, chief of the Southern Water Tribe, expected to receive proposals for her hand the moment she came of age at seventeen, but any man struck by her beauty was too intimidated by her powerful bending to ask for her hand. So Katara stayed with her father and brother, alone._

 _And so we set our stage…_

o0o

Katara lashed out with the water whip, obliterating the target in front of her, then whirled, turning the whip to shards of ice as she did; they flew into another target behind her in a tight cluster.

She pulled the ice shards out of the target and swung around, forming them back into a water whip and sending it toward the last target, slicing it neatly in half.

Her audience broke into spontaneous applause. Katara ignored them, shaking her head slightly. She knew no good would come of people calling her the spirit of water itself, and so she tried her best to dissuade them from such talk. But when her father insisted on her having an audience whenever she practiced, it was hard to seem like she wasn't showing off.

She knew that was what all the other waterbenders of the South called her - a show-off. They hated her with a passion - she could only assume that their envy had gotten the better of them. Even Sokka, her own brother, sometimes got fed up with how big a deal their father made of her bending.

"Master Katara!" She sighed. Great. It was Nanak, her father's steward.

"Yes, Nanak?" she asked, trying to keep her tone polite and cheerful. He was probably going to go tell her to pretty herself up for another banquet with a bunch of ambassadors and generals from the other nations who would be staring at her - covertly or otherwise - through the whole meal.

"Master Katara, your father has instructed me to tell you to prepare for a banquet tonight," the scrawny steward reported, confirming her suspicions.

"Who is it this time?" she asked, resigned. At first, she'd put up heavy resistance to these dinners, but her father had just forced her to go anyway, and she'd long realized it wasn't worth the effort.

"A Fire Nation delegation, my lady," Nanak replied. "The banquet is in two hours."

"I'll be ready," she sighed.

o0o

At least when there was a Fire Nation delegation there was a change in cuisine, she reflected. Her father usually tried to impress the Fire Nation more than the others, seeing as they were the wealthiest of the four nations.

"So this is your daughter," the Fire Nation ambassador was saying, like he didn't already know all about her. "I saw her bending earlier today. She is as powerful as she is beautiful, Chief Hakoda. You should be proud."

Inwardly, Katara rolled her eyes, but she kept a smile on her face.

"Oh, I am, Ambassador Kuzon," her father replied with a smug grin.

"By Agni, I daresay she is the most powerful bender in the world!" the ambassador went on. Katara flinched. She wished he hadn't invoked the name of a spirit - she'd been trying to avoid the attention of the Spirit World. No need for them to hear people calling her the spirit of water! She was fairly certain _that_ wouldn't end well.

o0o

In the Spirit World, Agni, Spirit of Fire, was reading in his palace when he heard his name invoked in the mortal world. Curious, he decided to listen to the rest of the sentence.

" _... I daresay she is the most powerful bender in the world!"_

Well. This was interesting. _Who_ was the most powerful bender in the world? This, he had to hear. He cocked his head, listening intently now to the conversation.

" _Tui and La have outdone themselves - truly, your daughter is blessed._ "

Agni bit back a snarl. Tui and La - those pathetic excuses for spirits that had given up their spirit forms to be with the _mortals_ \- why would any self-respecting Fire Nation man be talking about them?

Wait. " _Truly, your daughter is blessed._ " That was what the man had said. The most powerful bender in the world… was a woman? The mention of Tui and La… she was a _waterbender_? This was adding insult to injury!

"Zuko!" Agni roared.

His son arrived in the library within seconds. "You called, Father?" he said, bowing.

Agni's fiery eyes glowed with anger. "Have you heard of this upstart waterbender who calls herself the greatest bender in the world and has deceived the rest of the nations into believing it?"

Zuko frowned. "I can't say I have, Father."

"No matter. I want you to go humble her. Understood?"

"Yes, Father," the handsome spirit said. "I understand perfectly."

"Then go," the Spirit of Fire ordered. "I have some business with the Avatar."


	2. Chapter 2

"Avatar Roku."

"The Avatar - the Avatar is here."

"Roku has come to see the chief." The whispers spread throughout the Southern Water Tribe.

Katara was practicing when a murmur ran through her audience. She looked over to see an old man clad in simple robes of Fire Nation red; the crowd had parted around him. He met her gaze, and, involuntarily, she flinched back. His eyes radiated power.

"Avatar Roku," she said, returning her water to her bending pouch and bowing deeply. "It is an honor. Are you here to see my father?"

The Avatar gave her a long look. "Yes, I am here to see your father. But my news also concerns you, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

Katara bowed again, hiding her nervousness, and said, "My father is in council right now. Please, follow me." She was painfully aware of the Avatar's piercing gaze on her as she led him down the street to the council hall.

Once inside, she pushed open the door to the council room and poked her head in. "Father," she said, instantly silencing all discussion, "the Avatar is here to speak with you."

"Send him in," Hakoda ordered.

Roku strode into the council room, face stern, red robes a sharp contrast to the blue-clothed councilmen. "Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe," he announced in a deep yet raspy voice, "I bring a message from the Spirit World. You and your family have angered many in the Spirit World with your claims that your daughter is the greatest bender in the world. Therefore I must pronounce this doom upon her: she will face a monster that even the great ones of the Spirit World fear. To this end, one week from today she must climb the great ice cliffs at the edge of the sea and there wait for her doom. I, the Avatar, have received this message from the Spirit World."

Silence reigned in the council room. Hakoda had gone pale with shock. Roku waited patiently for a response, hands folded serenely in front of him.

"I am supposed to sacrifice my daughter to a monster even the great spirits fear?" Hakoda said, finally. The rest of the council began murmuring amongst themselves, shooting glances at Katara that they thought she didn't notice.

"Yes," said Roku.

"And if I refuse?" Katara's father asked, voice dangerously calm.

"Then your entire nation will pay the price for your pride, and feel the spirits' wrath," the Avatar said, a frown creasing his brow.

"Father, I'll do it," Katara said, stepping forward. Everyone turned to look at her.

"What did you say?" Hakoda asked slowly.

"I said, I'll go to the ice cliffs and wait for the monster," she repeated. Avatar Roku raised one eyebrow.

"Katara, this is a monster that the _spirits_ fear! How can you agree to face it?" her father cried, incredulous.

"It's that or our nation is destroyed by the spirits," she replied calmly. "Nothing you say is going to change my mind, Father. I will never turn my back on people who need me."

Hakoda stared at her, mouth opening and shutting as he tried to think of an argument that would keep her from going. Katara waited.

Finally, her father gave a defeated sigh. "It seems we have no other choice," he said heavily. "It shall be as you say, Avatar - my daughter will go to the ice cliffs in one week."

"The spirits honor your sacrifice," Roku said, bowing first to Katara, then to Hakoda. Then he turned on a heel and strode out of the council room without being dismissed.

"This council is adjourned," Hakoda said, still sounding as though he was in shock. "Come, Katara. We'll need to tell your grandmother."

o0o

Now, Katara had no intention of going quietly. If something _did_ come for her on top of the cliffs, she'd pull out a water whip and send it back to the Spirit World. If she couldn't defeat it, she'd die fighting. What she wouldn't do was stand idly by while her people were in danger because of her. She began training hard, harder than ever before, and her audiences watched with pity, never suspecting she had a plan.

o0o

A week passed alarmingly fast, and the day Katara was to meet the monster dawned bright and bitterly cold. In the morning, Gran-Gran came to help dress her in her funeral clothes, for which she was thankful. Her funeral clothing was just one of her bending outfits, dyed black. They would aid her when it came time to fight the monster.

The entire Southern Water Tribe lined the path of the procession to the cliffs. Katara was touched, and the sight of her people alongside the road helped bolster her confidence for the task ahead.

At the base of the cliffs, Katara bowed to her father, hastily embraced Gran-Gran and Sokka, bowed to Avatar Roku, then began climbing the stairs cut into the icy side of the cliffs.

The wind grew stronger as she climbed, tugging at her clothes, pushing at her legs, but she soldiered on. As she climbed, she ran over waterbending attacks in her mind, preparing for the fight with the monster.

Finally, after about an hour, she reached the bare, flat top of the ice cliffs. She chanced a look down and quickly looked back up again - all her people looked no larger than ants; the ocean stretched endlessly below her, dotted with icebergs as far as she could see.

The wind was positively howling now, so strong she had to struggle to stay on her feet. In a flash of inspiration, she bent ice around her boots, securing herself to the ground. The wind blew harder, harder, harder, finally forcing her to her knees. When would the monster come? Perhaps Roku had been lying. Perhaps she would just freeze to death, alone atop the cliffs.

If possible, the wind was blowing even harder now. Her feet began to ache where the ice was digging into her boots. She finally bent the ice off of them and was immediately shoved feet-first towards the edge of the cliff by the full force of the wind. She scrabbled for a hold, but the ice was bare and smooth, and her gloves were clumsy and bulky. She was forced, inexorably, to the edge of the cliff by the wind. She could only imagine what it looked like to the people below.

She was nearly to the edge. Desperate now, she tried to stop herself by bending handholds to grab onto, but her gloves would always slip. And still the wind pushed her on.

She felt her feet go off into empty space and stopped resisting. The wind seemed to howl in triumph as she slid off the cliff, heading straight for the unforgiving ocean below.

o0o

Sokka watched in horror as Katara slipped off the edge of the cliff, tumbling through the air, falling toward the dark ocean. He started forward, wanting to do something - anything! - but the Avatar caught his arm. "You cannot interfere," he said, almost… sadly.

Sokka yanked his arm out of the old man's grasp. "That's my _sister_!"

"This was her choice," Roku said quietly.

There was a splash at the base of the cliffs. Sokka fell to his knees in the snow. "No…" he whispered. He whirled on the Avatar. "How could you?" he cried, his voice breaking. Hakoda's face was a grim mask. Silent tears ran down Gran-Gran's cheeks.

"May this be a warning and a blow to your pride," Roku said softly, and then left.

Sokka stared at the dark, icy water for a long, long time.

* * *

 **A/N:** Chapter Two! Updates on this will probably be pretty quick as I have a lot written out already. Read and review, please? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)


	3. Chapter 3

Katara, as she fell, was too panicked to even think of bending - all she could think was _Tui and La, Tui and La, I'm falling, I'm falling, I'm falling -_

And suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore - but she hadn't hit the water, either. She was… flying? Yes, flying, skimming alongside the edge of the cliffs, the wind carrying her farther and farther away from her people.

"What - in the name - of all that is holy - is going on?" she wheezed, heart still racing, the rush of the wind taking away her breath.

 _Hello, little one,_ a voice in the wind said. _You are being rescued._

"Who are you?" Katara gasped.

 _I am Vaayu, Spirit of Air_ , the voice said, sounding amused. _You've made a friend in the Spirit World, it seems, and I owe him a favor._

"Owe who a favor?" But the wind was silent.

After a bit, Katara began to relax, trusting the wind to hold her up. They were still traveling over the ocean, but the familiar chunks of ice were becoming less and less frequent.

"Where are we going?" Katara called to the air spirit.

 _The house of my friend - and yours,_ Vaayu replied, that tone of amusement still in its voice. _I can see why he wanted you to live._

"Excuse me?" she demanded. She thought she heard a soft chuckle, but again, the wind didn't reply. She tossed her head, irritated, then caught sight of land, far in the distance but fast approaching.

"Is that the Earth Kingdom?" she asked, fascinated. She'd never left the South Pole before.

 _No, little one,_ the spirit replied. _It is the Fire Nation. We will be there soon._

Katara bit her lip, suddenly nervous. Who was this "friend" Vaayu kept talking about? Why had he rescued her from the monster?

Or maybe this "friend" was the monster.

The air spirit set her down gently in the middle of a lush garden, a pond directly in front of her.

 _The house is just past the pond,_ the wind said, dying down to a light breeze that brushed softly against her cheek, as if the air spirit were trying to comfort her. _And don't worry, little one. You should have no reason to fear._ The wind picked up again, and Katara knew Vaayu was gone. Taking a deep breath, she refilled her bending pouch from the pond, then headed toward the house. It came into view instantly, towering over her, probably five or six stories tall. It was massive, painted red with golden eaves. Dragons adorned each corner of the roof. The front door was open.

Warily, Katara approached, glancing about as she did. This felt like a trap - it was much too quiet. And yet, the door was open.

She made it up the stairs to the porch and nothing had jumped out at her yet. Perhaps the owner of the house - Vaayu's "friend" - _wanted_ her to come in.

"Well," she muttered to herself, "here goes nothing." She stepped inside the mansion.

The door instantly shut behind her. Katara whirled around, pulling some water from her pouch, but there was no one there. Swallowing, she turned and continued to walk down the hall, keeping her water out and in her hand. There was a door on her left, which she opened slowly. It was just a closet, with shelves full of woven baskets. Curious, she put the water back into her pouch and opened one of the ones on the lowest shelf.

She gasped. The basket was filled to the brim with neatly stacked bars of gold that glowed dully in the light. She quickly took out another basket, pulled the lid off, and found it full of all sorts of gems that sparkled merrily at her. She dropped the basket, the gems spilling all over the floor. What _was_ this place?

"Careful, milady," a girl's voice said from behind her.

Katara turned, but again, no one was there. "Who - what - " she stammered.

"Forgive me, milady. I didn't mean to startle you. All of us servants are invisible, so that we do not interfere with you." As she watched, the gems started moving back into the basket, as if they were being picked up by invisible hands.

"Excuse me," Katara said after a moment. "But do you know why I'm here?" She kept her voice polite. Invisible servants and a mansion that belonged to a spirit. This had to be the strangest thing she'd ever experienced.

"The master wanted to see you," the invisible girl replied.

"Who's 'the master'?" Katara asked, frowning.

"The lord of this house and a great spirit of the Fire Nation."

"What's his name?" Katara asked. The servant girl didn't reply.

Katara huffed, annoyed. Why couldn't any of these people give her a straight answer?

"The master will want to see you tonight," the invisible girl said, as the basket returned to its place on the shelf. "I can show you to your room, if you like - or, if you wish, I can show you to the dining room, or you could return to the garden - "

"I think I'd like to see my room," Katara said, interrupting before she was overwhelmed with options.

"Follow my voice, milady," the girl said, her voice moving off down the hall. Katara hurried after her.

o0o

After dinner - served in a sumptuous yet strangely empty dining room - Katara returned to her bedroom and sat down heavily on the large four-poster bed. This was _not_ how she'd expected her day to go when she'd woken up that morning. She was still wearing her funeral clothes; the servant girl had shown her the closet, filled with gorgeous silks and rich clothing, but Katara had obstinately decided to keep her old clothes on. Besides, the invisible girl had said the master - whoever he was - would want to see her tonight. If it came to a fight, she wanted to be prepared and comfortable.

"Time you dressed for bed, milady!" the invisible girl's voice called cheerfully from outside the door.

"I thought I was going to speak to the master of the house?" Katara called back, eyeing the door warily.

"Oh, you are," the girl replied brightly. "But first you ought to get ready for bed." The door opened and a folded nightdress floated into the room.

"I'd rather not," Katara said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Please, milady."

"No, thank you," Katara replied. "Please leave me alone."

"As… as you wish, milady," the girl said, shutting the door behind her. She sounded a bit… worried.

Katara let out a sigh of relief anyway. She was expecting the girl to have put up more resistance - this was the house of a spirit, after all; why would they listen to a mortal? - but she'd given up with barely a fight. Interesting.

Suddenly, all the lights went out. Katara froze, heart racing. What was going on? She heard the door creak on its hinges, then shut. Someone was in the room with her.

She felt the bed sink as someone sat down next to her. She held her breath.

"Hello." It was a young man's voice, rich and warm and faintly amused.

"You're the master of the house," she said. It wasn't a question.

"I am," he said, simply.

A thousand questions bubbled up in Katara's mind, but the first one that came out was, "Vaayu the air spirit owes you a favor?"

He laughed, a low sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "Yes. Vaayu is an old friend of my father's."

"Who is your father?"

He sighed. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Katara asked, lifting her chin defiantly, then realizing how pointless the gesture was - it was totally dark in the room.

"If I say his name, it will draw his attention, and as I've gone to such lengths to hide this place from _everyone_ , I'd prefer not to have that ruined now."

"Is that why I'm not allowed to see _you_?" she challenged.

"Exactly," he confirmed. She imagined he was nodding. "I know it may seem overly dramatic, but trust me on this - the less attention from the Spirit World for you, the better." His voice grew serious. "You're supposed to be dead, like the Avatar said. I had to pull a lot of strings to keep you alive."

"Why?" she breathed, shocked.

"Um…" The master of the house sounded unsure of himself for the first time. "You didn't deserve to die," he said finally. "It wasn't your fault that you're good at bending, or that your father used you to gain influence with the other nations. I know you always tried to talk down the people who said you must be Water herself. You were always respectful, not arrogant. There was no reason why _you_ should face the spirits' wrath. Well, one spirit in particular."

"Is it Ag- " Katara was cut off by the sudden press of fingers to her lips. She blinked.

"You can't say his name," the young man warned her, his voice sounding much closer to her. "You'll draw his attention. But yes, the Spirit of Fire is… particularly angry with you." His fingers left her lips. She swallowed nervously.

"So I'm stuck here? Is that what you're saying?" she asked.

The master of the house sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, yes. Though I should think there is plenty to do here. You'll have to explore this place - I'm not sure _I_ even know everything that's stored here."

Katara made a noncommittal noise, thinking of her home in the South Pole and the family she'd left behind. They sat in silence for a while. Then something he'd said earlier finally seemed to penetrate her brain. "Wait," she said slowly. "How did you know all those things about me before? How I try to warn people away from calling me a spirit, or that I'm respectful?"

"Ah…" The young man sounded embarrassed. "I was… sort of… watching you…"

" _Excuse_ me?"

"I had to get everything set up for your rescue!" he protested, voice growing defensive. "I had to know whether you were worth it!"

"Well, glad I passed your approval," Katara muttered.

"I'll take that as a thank you," he shot back.

"For kidnapping me and terrifying me by having an air spirit - _the_ Air spirit - drag me off a cliff? Oh, yes, thank you _very_ much," she snapped.

"Mortals," he growled. "So ungrateful." This statement made Katara pause.

"I'd almost forgotten you were a spirit, for a minute," she said softly. "Though I'll admit, I don't have much experience with them."

"I'm not your typical spirit," the young man said. "For one thing, I look completely human - "

 _I wouldn't know,_ Katara thought dryly.

" - which is unusual in of itself. I also spend more time in the mortal world than the Spirit World."

"And you're solid," Katara added.

"Of course I'm solid!" the master of the house said, sounding shocked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I was under the impression that spirits were kind of wispy, airy things," Katara said with a vague gesture.

He snorted. "Not in the Spirit World, they're not."

"Wait - I'm in the Spirit World? I thought I was in the Fire Nation! That's what Vaayu said!"

"You're in the Spirit World version of the Fire Nation."

"What?"

"Well, the Spirit World overlaps the mortal world," he said, taking on a lecturing tone that Katara instantly disliked. "It attaches in a few key places - the temple of Fire in the Fire Nation capital, the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole, several air temples - and overlaps more heavily there. This is the Fire Nation, but as it was before the mortals were ever here."

"Interesting," Katara said, and meant it. Then she yawned - a huge, jaw-cracking yawn.

"Oh! Sorry! Ah - good night, I suppose - I'll see you tomorrow night," the young man said, sounding terribly flustered. The door opened, but the hallway was dark, too - she couldn't even see his silhouette.

"What's your name?" she called, suddenly realizing he'd never mentioned it.

"I can't tell you that," he said from the doorway, though he sounded sad.

"Well, I have to call you _something_."

"You can call me Lee," he said, and the door clicked shut.

* * *

 **A/N:** And the plot thickens! If you know the myth, you know where this is going. If you haven't read the myth, go read the version from _Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes_! It's hilarious and a very understandable retelling.

Tell me what you think so far?


	4. Chapter 4

Katara soon fell into a pattern. When she woke up, she would go to the garden pond and practice her bending until one of the servants came and told her breakfast was ready. After breakfast, she'd either go to the library, which she'd found on her second day, and study scrolls about the Spirit World; or she would explore the mansion. Every time she thought she _must_ have found everything by now, she'd stumble across a new hallway that led her to a completely different part of the house. Part of her suspected the house had no end, and was constantly updating itself to keep her occupied.

In the evening, she'd have dinner, then go to her room and wait for Lee. The lights would go out, and then they would chat until Katara was too tired to keep up a conversation.

Lee could be uproariously funny when he wanted to be, full of dry wit and sarcastic asides. He was also full of knowledge about the most surprising things - he knew the most about the Fire Nation, but he would also tell her stories about the Earth Kingdom and the Air Nomads, which she listened to with fascination.

She often complained about not being able to see him, but as time went on, she began to care less and less what he looked like, what his true identity was, and more about what she could say that evening that would make him laugh, or finding some new fact that would surprise him.

She'd been there about six months when she realized she was falling in love.

o0o

"Lee," she said one night when he came into her room, "do you know the story of Oma and Shu?"

There was a pause. "Yes," he said, sounding a bit confused.

"I came across a mention of it while reading," she explained. "I was just wondering."

"So what you're saying is you'd like me to tell it to you," he said dryly, but she could tell there was a smile in his voice. "It's not a happy story."

"I'd still like to hear it," she said, lying back on her bed. She felt the bed shift as he laid down next to her, and her heart picked up.

"Long ago, there were two lovers named Oma and Shu," he began. "The mountains divided them…"

Katara lost herself in the story as Lee's warm voice wove a tale of warring villages, forbidden love, secret tunnels, and tragic ends.

"... and so the city of Omashu was built, and there it stands to this day, still a monument to the two lovers," he finished quietly.

"I've never heard anyone tell a story like that," Katara said softly. "You made it sound so real."

"It _was_ real," he replied. "I knew them both." He sounded sad, and Katara felt guilty for bringing back what were clearly painful memories.

"She was like you," Lee went on, "Oma. Very powerful… and very beautiful. She was fearless, and kind, and strong." He fell silent, as if remembering.

"Did - did you love her?" Katara asked in a small voice, telling herself it wouldn't hurt if the answer was yes.

"Not _her_ ," Lee said, then stopped suddenly.

Katara was silent, trying to puzzle out this statement.

"I'll let you get to bed," he said abruptly. The bed shifted as he got up.

"Wait!" Katara called, sitting up as the door creaked open. "What did you mean, 'Not her' - " The door shut.

Katara flopped back on her bed, her mind running over their short conversation again and again.

o0o

He paced in the garden, cursing himself for getting into this situation. He'd saved her because her death would have been an unjust thing, no matter how Agni raged. He hadn't meant to become friends with her, or tell her stories, or spend all day thinking of something that would make her laugh, just so he could hear it. In short, he hadn't _meant_ to fall in love with a mortal - and a waterbender, at that. And yet, he had.

He'd almost given himself away tonight, going on like that. He'd left early to keep himself from saying anything else. No matter how friendly or funny or concerned she was, she couldn't return his feelings - he was a spirit, after all. What mortal would love a spirit? No, it was better that he kept his feelings to himself. They'd only ruin the easy friendship that had sprung up between them.

But he did hope, in a tiny place at the back of his mind that didn't want to be practical, that she would come to see him the same way he saw her.

o0o

The next day, Katara got up as usual and headed to the garden, but she didn't feel like bending. Instead she wandered the garden, something she hadn't yet found time to do, looking at the exotic Fire Nation flowers interspersed among leafy bushes and palm trees.

Suddenly, she came upon a more open spot, a clearing of sorts, and stopped in amazement. Scattered throughout the field before her were the small purple flowers that Gran-Gran had kept in the house in the summertime, that she had so carefully cultivated.

A wave of homesickness washed over Katara all of a sudden. She missed Gran-Gran. She missed Sokka. She even missed her father. Yes, the mansion was beautiful and luxurious, and everyone was kind to her, but she was still trapped.

o0o

That evening Katara was silent, thinking of home and family. Lee tried to get her to cheer up, obviously sensing something was up, but nothing he said could change her mood. Finally, he gave up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm homesick," Katara said with a wan smile.

Lee was quiet.

"I know I can't leave," she continued. "But I was wondering - could you bring Sokka here? Just for a short visit?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lee said reluctantly. "Could you trust him to keep quiet once he went back?"

"Of course! Sokka knows how to keep a secret," she said, conveniently forgetting her brother's tendency to blurt out anything on his mind.

"I guess Vaayu does still owe me a favor," he said slowly, and Katara knew she had him.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, and reached over to give him a hug, forgetting she couldn't see where he was.

"Ow! That was my face!" he complained as her hand hit something. She jerked back.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry - I was trying to give you a hug, but I couldn't see you - "

"It's fine," he interrupted, sounding a little embarrassed. "Here." She felt his hands wrap around her wrists. "I'm over here," he said, guiding her hands to his shoulders.

"So you'll let Sokka visit?" she confirmed.

He sighed. "Yes, your brother will be here for a visit tomorrow."

She grinned and gave him a proper hug this time. She felt his arms go around her. After a second, she felt a soft laugh against her hair. She pulled back.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing," he said, and she left it at that.

* * *

 **A/N:** I've just realized how short all my chapters are. *shrugs* Oh well!

Guest, thank you for the lovely review (since I can't PM you a reply). I'm glad to hear you like it! I really do appreciate the feedback. :)

With that said, if you see something you like (or don't like), dear readers, don't hesitate to tell me!


	5. Chapter 5

Vaayu deposited Sokka in front of the garden pond with a wild gust. Katara hurried forward to greet him.

"Sokka! You made it!"

" _What_ just happened?" Sokka gasped. Then he looked up. "Whaa… _Katara?!_ " His mouth fell open.

She smiled at him.

"But you - you're - you - " he stammered. He slowly got to his feet and walked toward her, setting his hands on her shoulders as if reassuring himself that she was really there.

"You're alive," he finally managed. "How - why - " He suddenly crushed her in a massive hug, which Katara returned.

"I'll tell you everything, but why don't you come inside?" she said when he pulled away, leading him up the porch stairs and into the mansion.

She took him to the dining room, where she'd instructed the staff to make a bevy of Southern Water Tribe dishes. She knew he'd be hungry (he always was) and she wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

"So how are you alive? Are you alive? I'm not dead too, am I?" he demanded, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

She laughed. "Yes, I'm alive. I was rescued by the same air spirit that brought you here."

"Where are we?"

"The Fire Nation," Katara said, not mentioning that it was also in the Spirit World. She thought that might be a little too much for him to handle at the moment.

"So whose house is this?" was Sokka's next question.

She hesitated. Should she tell him about Lee? She didn't know… "It belongs to a spirit," she said finally, because lying to Sokka would make her feel horribly guilty.  
"A spirit? Which one? The air spirit?"

"Not the air spirit; he's a Fire Nation spirit. But that's all I know," she replied.

"A Fire Nation spirit? Wait - _he?_ Who is he?"

"I don't know! I've never seen him, it's always dark - "

"Are you telling me you've lived here for - what, seven months? - and you don't know who owns the house you've been living in?" Sokka said, incredulous.

"He said it would be dangerous if I knew his identity!" Katara said defensively.

"He said - wait, you've _talked_ to him?" Sokka's eyes were practically bugging out of his head.

"He can't tell me his real name, he just told me to call him Lee. We talk every night after dinner. He turns all the lights out first, though, so I've never seen him," she explained.

Sokka stared at her, his mouth open, meal forgotten. "Katara! How could you - he could be a monster!"

"He isn't! He's clever, and kind, and funny - and definitely not a monster," she said angrily.

"Katara, I know you only see the good in people, but this is too much," Sokka said, looking worried. "Don't you remember what the Avatar said?"

She did, perfectly. _She will face a monster that even the great ones of the spirit world fear._ A tiny bit of doubt began to worm its way into her mind. But Lee wasn't a monster… was he?

"I know he might _seem_ perfect, but he's a spirit, and spirits aren't always as they seem. This… this could be bad, Katara," Sokka said, still concerned.

Katara bit her lip.

"Here," Sokka said, reaching into his pocket. "I've got some matches. Keep them with you, and the next time the spirit shows up, use them to get a good look at him. I don't want you being deceived by a monster who can put on a pretty act. In fact, I'll stay with you - "

"No, Sokka," Katara interrupted, though she took the matches from him. "It's just a short visit. Vaayu will be back to take you home soon. But you're right - maybe I do need to be more careful. I'll - " Her voice broke as she considered the thought that Lee - _her_ Lee - could be a monster, trying to trick her for some nefarious purpose. "I'll keep the matches, just in case."

All the tension went out of Sokka's shoulders. "Good." He stood up, and Katara did as well. He pulled her into another hug, holding her tight for a minute.

"I'm glad you're not dead," he said finally.

Katara couldn't help but give a watery laugh. "I've missed you so much. But you can't tell anyone back home that I'm alive," she ordered.

"You'll get in trouble with the spirits if I do?" Sokka guessed. Katara nodded. "Fine. Dad and Gran-Gran are both really cut up, though. Dad hasn't been the same, really. It's… it's like when Mom died," he added quietly.

Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of her family mourning her, but she forced herself to keep them back. "I'm as good as dead anyway, Sokka," she said. "It's - it's better this way." Her lip trembled as she tried to stay strong for her brother.

Suddenly, a breeze blew through the dining room. _It is time for him to go, little one,_ said the voice of Vaayu. _He will be missed soon._

"Already?" the two siblings demanded in unison, then briefly smiled at each other.

 _Yes_ , said Vaayu.

"I love you, Sokka," Katara said, hugging her brother one last time.

"Love you too," Sokka said, eyes glittering with unshed tears. The wind surged up around them, and Katara was forced to her knees as the air spirit howled away with her brother. When she could stand again, they were both gone.

She fingered the small leather pouch of matches in her pocket and bit her lip.

o0o

"How was your brother's visit?" Lee asked that night.

"I hadn't realized how much I missed him until he was actually here," she said, truthfully.

"I'm glad you could see him again," the spirit said warmly. "That was one of the things I most regretted - making your family think you were dead."

Katara had no response for this, and so they sat in slightly awkward silence for a while. Sokka's words were replaying themselves over and over in her head. _He could be a monster. Don't you remember what the Avatar said? I don't want you being deceived by a monster who can put on a pretty act._

Finally, she faked a yawn and told Lee she was tired from her visit with her brother.

"Oh, of course. I'll let you get your rest," he said immediately, and the bed shifted as he stood.

 _He could be a monster._

"Good night, Katara," he said from the doorway.

 _Don't you remember what the Avatar said?_

"Good night, Lee."

o0o

Katara stood with a lit candle in front of her, her back to the door. She was waiting.

"Katara?" She heard the door creak open, but she kept her back turned. "Katara, it's me - it's Lee."

She slowly turned toward his voice, keeping her candle in front of her. The light showed the dim outline of a young man.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The outline took a step closer but grew no clearer. "What do you mean? It's _me_ , Katara. Your friend."

"Who are you?" she repeated, the candle trembling in her hands.

Another step closer, yet still he was just a dark outline.

"Katara," he said, sounding pained, "don't you know me? All this time I've been your friend - I thought you trusted me. Don't you trust me?"

"I - I do," she said.

Lee's shadowy figure spread his arms wide. "Then why are you afraid?"

A wave of calm swept over her. "I'm not," she said, setting the candlestick on the ground.

"Good," said Lee, and his dim outline began to coming closer - but he was _still_ only an outline; she couldn't make out any detail. "I was waiting to hear that." He was facing her now, only inches away, and the truth of his appearance finally struck her - he _was_ nothing. He was an empty void, a blank space, pure darkness. He grabbed her wrist, and it was as if her whole body turned to ice.

"Lee - " she gasped, before her throat seemed to freeze as well.

He let out a dark chuckle. "I'll enjoy consuming your soul," he said conversationally. "Getting you to trust me was the best part." Then the darkness that was Lee suddenly expanded, engulfing her as she silently screamed in terror.

o0o

Katara was still screaming when she woke up. Her heart was pounding; her throat was raw.

The door burst open. "Katara? Are you alright?" Lee asked, sounding frantic. She recoiled from his voice, pulling her blankets up to her chin.

 _He could be a monster._

"Did you - were you having a nightmare?" he asked. She could tell he was sitting at the foot of her bed. "Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked, more gently.

"No," she croaked, terrified at the very thought.

 _Don't you remember what the Avatar said?_

"Hey," he said, and there was a touch on her shoulder. She flinched violently. "All right, I won't touch you," he said, still in that calming, soothing tone of voice. "But I'll stay here. I won't let anything get by me."

 _It isn't 'anything' I'm worried about_ , she thought, but despite herself she began to relax. It was just a dream.

"I'll stay right here on the floor," Lee said from a little farther away. "If you need me, I'm right here."

Katara lay awake for a while, listening to the sound of Lee's breathing. It struck her, then- the fact that he _did_ breathe. Surely spirits didn't need to? Although he had said he was more human than most spirits…

His breathing was deeper and more even, now. Was he asleep? Did spirits even sleep? Katara felt the small pouch of matches against her leg in her dress pocket. Now was her chance to settle her mind once and for all.

Slowly, carefully, silently, she pulled out the soft leather pouch of matches and lit the lamp that stood on her bedside table. The oil flared to life. She sat up and, lamp in hand, peered over the edge of the bed to where Lee slept on the floor.

He was breathtakingly handsome. Dark, feathery hair fell over his eyes. His smooth, even features seemed to glow slightly in the lamplight. He wore simple red clothes, but as he stirred a little, the light caught the flash of gold embroidery.

Katara's hand was shaking. She'd read enough books on Fire Nation spirits over the past few months to recognize him instantly - Zuko, son of Agni, one of the warrior spirits of the Fire Nation. No wonder he was concerned about his father. The Spirit of Fire was known for his contempt of the Water Tribes and his fiery temper.

It seemed to happen in slow motion: her trembling hand finally upset the delicate balance of the oil lamp. A splash of hot oil slopped over the side and, as she watched, landed directly on the spirit's face.

Katara dropped the lamp, horrified. She'd injured him! The lamp landed with a crash near his head.

"My - face - " he groaned. Katara inched backward, away from the edge of the bed. "What - what happened?" Lee demanded, sounding more awake. "My face - did you drop the lamp on my - " He fell silent. Katara held her breath.

"You looked." It wasn't a question.

"I - "

"You know who I am."

She sighed. "Yes."

He snarled, and all the lights came on. He stood before her, face contorted with pain. There was an angry red burn covering his eye from where she'd spilled the oil. "What part of 'you don't need to know who I am; if you do, you'll die' did you not understand?" he demanded, furious.

She stayed silent, unable to look away from his burned and blistering face. A horrible wave of guilt was threatening to overwhelm her. Why had she let Sokka's words instill such doubt in her? She'd hurt her friend - betrayed his trust.

He hissed in pain. "You - I thought you were happy here. I thought - we were friends, we-" His breath was coming in pants now. Tears welled up in Katara's eyes.

"I can help - " she started, pulling water out of the bending pouch that lay on her bedside table, but he backed away from her.

"Don't touch me," he spat, and her hands fell helplessly to her sides. "You foolish waterbender! You've ruined everything! Why did you have to look?"

She couldn't reply. Her throat burned with the effort of keeping her tears back; they filled her eyes, and Lee wavered in her vision.

"The magic that held this place together is deteriorating," Lee said, breath hissing through his clenched teeth. Katara could no longer meet his gaze. "It's no longer part of the Spirit World. Get out now, before my father realizes what's happened. You'll be safest if you leave the Fire Nation."

"Lee - " Katara managed.

"LEAVE!" the Fire Nation spirit roared.

Katara fled.

* * *

 **A/N:** Uh-oh! Whatever will happen next? ;)

Guest: Thank you for the review! (Not sure if you're the same guest as last time. If not, welcome! If you are, thanks for reviewing twice!) Trouble? What? What could possibly have given you that impression? ;P

I really do appreciate any and all feedback, so let me know what you're thinking!


	6. Chapter 6

As she ran through the mansion, it began to rumble and shake. Books fell off shelves. Tapestries came crashing down from the walls. The ceiling creaked ominously.

Katara ran faster.

She made it out into the garden just as the mansion collapsed. Her first thought as soon as she stopped was for Lee - he'd still been in the mansion. But as she turned back to the wreckage of the house, she saw something burst out of the rubble and launch itself into the sky. She remembered, then, one of the stories she'd read that spoke of the sons of Agni being able to turn themselves into dragons.

 _You'll be safest if you leave the Fire Nation,_ said Lee's - no, _Zuko's_ voice in her head. All right. She needed a mission right now, something to keep her from thinking, and that would do quite nicely.

She could feel the ocean nearby. The Fire Nation was a cluster of islands - if she could get to the ocean, she could bend herself away, back to the South Pole.

And she would never see Zuko again.

She stopped suddenly. _No,_ she thought. _I will not run away._ If Agni had a problem with her, he could tell her to her face. And Zuko needed her help.

She turned and headed toward the north.

o0o

Zuko winged his way north, heading for the temple of Agni in the capital. His face still burned, even in his dragon form, with its scales of gold. He couldn't believe she'd doubted him like that. What had prompted her to look, after all that time?

Her brother. _He_ had most likely put the idea there. Zuko was filled with a sudden fury. The Water Tribe boy had ruined _everything_. He knew it would be a bad idea to let him visit, but it had made her so happy - he hadn't been able to say no. And it had been his downfall.

He landed heavily in front of the temple and shifted back into the Spirit World. The temple transformed into his father's magnificent golden palace, and he staggered inside. The pain of his burned face was making it hard to think straight.

"Zuko?" his father's voice boomed. "Is that you, son? Are you home at last?"

Zuko swore under his breath. If his father saw him like this, he'd have to explain how he was injured, and then the vengeance of Agni would fall on Katara - and possibly the rest of the Southern Water Tribe - yet again. He had to give her more time to get away. Her tear-filled blue eyes when she'd realized what she'd done swam in front of his face yet again. He dashed the image away angrily. He had to keep his wits about him.

"Zuko?" his father called. "Where are you, boy?"

He wouldn't be able to stall any longer. "Coming, Father," he replied, heading for the dining hall.

Agni sat at the head of the table in his favorite form, that of a man made entirely of golden flames. The table was filled with all manner of spirits, from all over - except the water spirits, who were conspicuously absent.

As soon as Zuko's father saw him, every torch in the room blazed up a good two feet. The guests shifted nervously as they took in Zuko's burned features.

"Who is responsible for this?" Agni asked, deceptively calm.

"Katara, the waterbender," Zuko was forced to admit; lying to his father was impossible.

Agni's brow furrowed. "Didn't I send you to kill her?" Some of the air spirits began edging toward the doors.

"You did, Father," said Zuko. "I did not do so, however, as I felt she didn't deserve to be punished for the actions of her father and the actions of other nations."

Agni's countenance blazed - literally. The torches leapt higher. A few Earth Kingdom spirits began heading for the exits. "You disobeyed my _direct_ order?"

"Yes, Father," said Zuko, unrepentant.

"And this mortal burned your face?" It seemed that his fury over Zuko's disobedience would not trump his fury over the indignity done to his son. Unfortunately.

 _I'm sorry, Katara._ "Yes, Father," said Zuko.

All of the guests that hadn't fled the room did so now, as the Spirit of Fire's temper exploded.

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS THE WATERBENDING SAVAGE WHO DARED TO ATTACK MY SON?"

"Father!" Zuko yelled. "She ran away. She's probably halfway to the Earth Kingdom by now." At least, he hoped she was.

"She was from the South Pole, was she not?" Agni asked, his anger settling but still seething just beneath the surface.

Zuko forced himself to sound disinterested. "North, South, they're all the same to me." As he said this, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, and he swayed where he stood. His father was at his side in a moment.

"Go to your room, son. You need to rest and heal," Agni said, helping his still-dizzy son out of the dining room.

"Yes… Father," Zuko said, as the halls of the palace spun around him.

o0o

Katara had been on the road for two days and nights, steadily making her way northwest. She had never been to the Fire Nation, but the library in the mansion had had an extensive map section, which she had perused during her stay there, out of interest. From these, she knew that there was a temple of Agni in the capital, which was in the center of the westernmost island. She hadn't seen another living soul in the two days she'd been traveling, which led her to believe the mansion had been stashed away in one of the pockets of jungle still common on the smaller, sparsely populated eastern islands.

On her third day of travel, she finally reached the shore. She stood in the waves for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by her element once again. The massive cliffs of the next island rose in the distance ahead of her, hazy in the setting sun.

Katara paused. Should she press on tonight, or set up camp and rest? She was slowly weakening, having only a small knowledge of the edible things in the forest. But now she could fish using her waterbending, and start a fire using the slowly-dwindling store of matches from Sokka. She couldn't waste too much time, though - Agni would be looking for her, and Zuko was still injured. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she felt as though his burn, caused by her carelessness, would not heal easily.

o0o

Zuko was in agony. Normally, when he was injured - which was rare, but did happen on occasion - he would heal within a day or two, no matter how severe the injury was. It had now been four days, and he was in just as much pain as he had been when she'd first spilled the lamp's hot oil on his face. He didn't know why - there hadn't been anything special about the oil.

All he wanted to do was be alone - he switched from missing Katara terribly to being furious with her and back in seconds. And all the while, the burn throbbed.

His father would stop in every day and inform him that he had been unable to find Katara. This would bring on another bout of agony - Zuko couldn't decide whether to be glad or disappointed that she'd eluded his father's grasp. He thought he might lose his mind sometimes, what with his indecision and the constant burning on his face.

o0o

"Help!"

The cry woke Katara instantly. It was dark out, but the sun was just peeking over the horizon.

"Help!"

It was coming from the water.

"I can't swim!"

Katara leapt to her feet, sprinting in the direction of the panicked voice. It sounded young- a child, perhaps.

"He - " The voice was cut off abruptly. Katara arrived on the shore just in time to see a small, dark head disappear beneath the waves. Without another thought, she dove in, stroking hard toward where the child had sunk, using her bending to propel herself through the water. Once at the spot, she swam down, following the trail of bubbles left by the child.

There! Dark hair, floating eerily in the water; pale skin that looked ghostly in the watery light.

Katara grabbed the child by the arm and shot herself out of the water with a massive push of bending, landing them on the beach with a tremendous splash.

The child was still, lying limp on the sand. Katara took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the small body in front of her, tuning out the feeling of the ocean. Then, eyes still closed, going on feeling alone, she drew the majority of the water out of the child's lungs and through the mouth, letting it splash on the sand beside her. Then she dropped to her knees and checked for breathing. The child - Katara was fairly certain it was a girl, now - was still unmoving.

Then, suddenly, she gave a huge, gasping cough, and began breathing again. Katara gently turned her on her side and let her cough out the remaining water from her lungs. Then she picked up the half-conscious girl and took her a little ways into the jungle, back to her campsite, where she lit the fire once again (another of her now-precious matches gone) and made sure the girl was close enough to be warm, bending the water out of the young girl's clothes. Then she went back to the shore, caught two fish, and began roasting them, staying on the opposite side of the fire from the younger girl, so as not to startle her.

The fish were nearly cooked through when the girl woke with a gasping breath, sitting bolt upright, looking around wildly.

"Hello," Katara said, pulling the fish off the fire. "I cooked you some breakfast."

The girl turned toward her and Katara saw her eyes were wide and very, very pale - almost colorless. "Who are you?" the girl demanded. "Where am I?"

"You're on the shore of one of the southern Fire Nation islands," Katara said. "I'm Katara. Here, have a fish," she said, holding the end of the skewer out to the girl. She didn't take it; she simply stared, seeming as though she was looking _through_ Katara.

"What's your name?" she asked gently, still holding the fish out.

"Toph," said the younger girl. She pressed a hand to the ground. "I'll take that fish now."

"Here you go," Katara said, passing it off. Toph bit into it and ate ravenously, licking the bones clean.

"Still hungry?" Katara asked. The other girl nodded wordlessly. Katara passed her the second fish, which was devoured just as quickly as the first.

"Thanks," said Toph, leaning back and licking her fingers.

"How did you get so far out?" Katara asked. "I didn't see any boats come by."

"I was…" The younger girl paused, as if judging how much she should tell Katara.

"You don't have to tell me," Katara said, "if you don't want to. I know we just met."

"Okay," said Toph.

There was a moment of silence. The fire crackled quietly.

"Are…" Katara tried to think of a delicate way to put it and failed. Her eyes, the unwavering gaze… "Are you blind?"

" _That_ took you a while," Toph said, a smirk crossing her face.

"I was kind of focused on saving your life," Katara snapped, irritated at the slight to her intelligence. Toph ducked her head, quiet at the reminder. There was another long silence.

"You're not Fire Nation," Toph said in a very decided tone of voice, out of the blue. "You sound wrong."

"I'm sorry?" Katara asked, startled out of her own thoughts.

"I said, you're not Fire Nation," Toph said, impatiently. "But you're not Earth Kingdom, either. Where are you from?"

Katara eyed the girl. _She_ looked Fire Nation, with her pale skin, dark hair, and red clothing. But the way she said it made it sound like she wasn't from the Fire Nation, either. Katara was reluctant to talk to anyone from the Fire Nation, as she wasn't sure whether the priests of Agni had become involved in the search for her - but if this girl wasn't Fire Nation… Katara desperately wanted someone to talk to.

"I'm from the South Pole," she said finally.

"Figures," Toph said immediately.

"Where are _you_ from, then?" Katara challenged. Something about this girl just rubbed her the wrong way!

"Earth Kingdom," said Toph, folding her arms over her chest. "Got a problem with that?"

"What are you doing in the Fire Nation?" Katara asked.

"What are _you_ doing in the Fire Nation?" Toph shot back.

Katara hesitated. What _was_ she doing in the Fire Nation? Running toward an extremely powerful spirit who wanted to kill her, all for a man - no, a spirit - who probably hated her now, while her family thought she was dead. Her shoulders slumped.

"I don't know," she said softly.

"Whoa," Toph said, frowning. "Getting some weird vibes from you now. What's up?"

And so Katara found herself spilling out the whole story - her bending, the Avatar, the air spirit, the mansion, Lee, her brother's visit, the dream, and finally her own doubt and downfall.

"Well," said Toph, after a moment of silence, clearly at a loss. "Can't say I've heard anything like that before."

Katara gave a shaky laugh. "I sound insane."

"Yeah, you do," Toph said. "But I can tell you're not."

"What?"

"I'm an earthbender, and since I can't see, I use vibrations to get a picture of the world. They give me a pretty accurate picture of someone - including sanity. You've been through some crazy stuff, but you're not insane." She paused. "Also, I should say thank you. For saving my life."

"You're welcome," Katara said, smiling slightly.

Toph shrugged uncomfortably. "So, what's your next step?" she asked, after another pause. "You still going to the capital to face down this spirit?"

Katara took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, I think I am."

* * *

 **A/N:** And the plot thickens! Hope you liked to addition of some more Avatar characters ;) There's more on the way!

I know I say this every time but tell me what you think! I love feedback!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I know this is rated K+, but just a warning for a bit of violence contained in the chapter.

* * *

"You sure you don't want company?" Katara asked Toph as the younger girl prepared to leave.

"No, I want to get home, and you have to get back to the Fire Nation," the little earthbender replied. "Thanks for the ride, though." Katara had bent a massive wave to carry the two of them to the Earth Kingdom coast - it really wasn't that far from the southern islands.

"If you're sure…" Katara said dubiously, not wanting to leave the girl to fend for herself.

"Hey, I'll be fine," Toph said, with supreme confidence. "You go get that fire spirit of yours back."

"He's not _mine_ \- " Katara began to protest, but Toph just laughed and started walking away.

"See you," she called over her shoulder, then jerked her hands forward with a stomp of her foot and bent a staircase into the cliffside.

Katara stared, impressed. This girl was a very good bender, despite her age.

"Thought you had places to be, Sugar Queen!" Toph yelled, halfway up her staircase. "Get going already!"

Katara shook her head. "I'm going!" she called back, then bent herself another wave. She was headed for the capital.

o0o

It took her two more days, mostly traveling over water, to reach the capital on the westernmost island. She came around the back side of the island, swimming with her head just barely above the surface - she didn't want to be spotted, which meant coming in through the harbor, while perhaps more convenient, was not an option. The city itself lay in the open crater of an old volcano, with one gate at the top of the road leading up from the harbor. The gate was her main problem. She didn't know if the Spirit of Fire had enlisted the help of his people, or if he was even looking for her in the Fire Nation, but she couldn't risk being recognized. A disguise would be needed. How to get one, though?

As she made her way through the jungle that still covered the lower slopes of the mountain that housed the Fire Nation capital, she spotted several houses, tucked away from the bustle of city life. And many of them had long clotheslines, just sitting out in the open.

Katara bit her lip. Stealing clothes… It would be a good way to get a disguise, but something in her rebelled at the thought. She'd always been taught that stealing was wrong - but if it helped her to survive?

Then she laughed at herself. Survival? She was heading straight into the reach of the patron spirit of the Fire Nation, and he was extremely angry with her. She probably _wouldn't_ survive the encounter. But she was still in the same dilemma - she had to have a disguise, and there was an unguarded clothesline right in front of her, its Fire Nation clothing waving tantalizingly in the light breeze.

"Are you going to _take_ those clothes?" asked a mildly curious voice from behind her.

She whirled around, whipping her water out of her bending pouch. A brightly clad figure stood in front of her, hands raised in a universal 'Don't shoot ice at me' gesture.

"Who are you?" she demanded, heart still racing.

The person - a bald-headed young man with orange and yellow robes and a blue, arrow-shaped tattoo on his head - gave her a wide smile, much to her surprise. "Hi! I'm Aang, from the Southern Air Temple."

"H-hello," Katara stammered, completely taken aback.

"What's your name?"

"Katara," she told him, then realized she probably should have made something up.

"So, going back to the original question - were you going to take those clothes?" the young Air Nomad asked, face growing suddenly serious.

"I don't know," she answered, honestly.

"I'd advise against it. From what I've heard, they don't like stealing very much here. The Fire Lord is harsh - you didn't hear that from me, by the way," he added quickly. "We're supposed to be diplomatic and neutral."

Katara gave a small smile, despite everything. "What are you doing here?" she asked, curiously.

"We're on a pilgrimage. I'm from the Southern Air Temple, but we're visiting the Eastern Air Temple. We stopped to pay our respects to the air spirits of the Fire Nation, since it's on the way," the young airbender explained. "What are you doing here? You're Water Tribe, aren't you?"

"Yes. Southern," Katara said. Something about Aang's friendly manner and wide grey eyes made her want to tell him everything, but she held back. She had to be careful. "I'm… looking for someone, and I need to get to the capital without drawing too much attention."

Aang nodded, and although she could see he was still curious, he asked no further questions. "We're going into the capital," he told her. "You can come with us."

"Really?" Katara asked. "Just like that?"

Aang smiled. "Just like that."

o0o

The Air Nomads were welcoming, each one giving her a respectful bow and a smile as she passed. "You won't pass as an Air Nomad," Aang said, eyeing her critically as they walked toward his sky bison. "But you can wear some of our extra robes, and you should be all right." He stopped by a female Air Nomad's bison and waved. "Hey, Yuyo!" he called. The airbender leaped from her sky bison, landing gracefully on the ground. "Can we borrow an extra set of robes?" Aang asked, gesturing to Katara. "She needs them."

"Of course," the other airbender replied with a gentle smile, fetching them out of her bags and handing them over. Katara pulled them over her head and made sure none of her blue clothing was showing.

"Here," said Aang, straightening her collar. His cheeks were slightly pink.

"Thank you," Katara said. "Not just the clothes - for all of this."

He smiled. "No problem! It's always a pleasure to help someone else." He led her over to his sky bison. "Meet Appa," he announced. Katara stared at the massive airbeast in awe. He towered over her, shaggy head low to the ground. Appa let out a low, rumbling, groaning noise and snorted.

"He likes you!" Aang said with a grin. "Go ahead and climb aboard. We'll be ready to go soon." Other sky bison were taking off already, lofting into the air and heading toward the Fire Nation capital. They touched down just inside the great gates of the city, where they were met by a diplomat and several Fire Sages.

"Our greetings, southern ones," the diplomat said. "Welcome to Caldera City. The Fire Lord welcomes you and thanks you for your respect in coming to honor our spirits."

The head monk, an old man with a spectacular mustache, dismounted with a gust of wind and bowed back. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate the Fire Nation's allowances for us."

"The temple is this way," the lead Fire Sage said, as the rest of the Air Nomads began to dismount. "Follow me."

"Are you coming with us?" Aang asked in a low voice, his eyebrows drawing into a concerned frown. Katara nodded, keeping her head down.

"I have to go to the temple, too," she told him.

"Stay in the middle, then?" he suggested, and she nodded again.

They made a strange sort of procession, the brightly clad Air Nomads with their blue tattoos and serene expressions, following the richly ornamented Fire Sages through streets that were full of staring people, all the way to the center of the city where the temple of Agni towered over the houses around it.

As they got closer, Katara realized how similar the house she'd stayed in with Lee was to the temple - the pagoda-style building had red roofs with dragons perched on each of the four corners closest to the ground. The walls were decorated in gold flames.

Katara had sudden, horrible realization that she had no idea what she was doing. She'd made it to the temple - now what? Even if she managed to get Agni's attention, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't just vaporize her on the spot. For that matter, what would she even _say_? "Hello, Spirit of Fire that previously tried to kill me. I was wondering if I could see your son, who I think I've fallen in love with, who probably doesn't ever want to see me again, since I burned his face and - " Right. It just got better and better.

Taking a deep breath, she followed the Air Nomads into the temple.

o0o

The temple itself was gorgeous - Katara was impressed. The interior walls were inlaid with gold, and incense hung heavy in the air. The many columns leading up to the main shrine were wrapped in scarlet cloth and the thick red carpet muffled their footsteps as they walked. There were other shrines off to the sides, where Fire Sages bent over braziers of glowing coals, or knelt chanting in low tones before little statuettes of the lesser fire spirits. Katara's blue eyes took in all of it - it seemed so alien compared to what she had been raised with. The Water Tribes treated the spirits with reverence, sure, but this was… different.

The group stopped; they had reached the main shrine. The statue inside was gold, a man with a dragon's head that glowered down over the whole temple. Or maybe Katara just thought he was glowering - the product of an overactive imagination. The Air Nomads formed a line, each approaching the shrine one at a time, bowing, murmuring a few words of respect, then drifting off towards other parts of the temple. The Fire Sages watched them, hawk-like, though what the Fire Sages thought the Air Nomads would do was beyond Katara. She found herself in the middle of the line, closer to the back, but still nearer to the front than she would have liked.

"What exactly do we say?" Katara whispered to Aang, who was ahead of her in line.

"Just say your name, and that you pay respect to the patron spirit of the Fire Nation, or something like that," Aang whispered back, encouragingly. "Nothing too hard."

"Right," Katara said. But she also had to apologize, and ask his son's forgiveness, and possibly be burnt to a crisp for her audacity, all in the short amount of time they were expecting her to pay her "respects."

There were two people left before Aang, and Katara swallowed nervously. Her heart was pounding; her palms were slick.

"Hey," said Aang, turning to her, his eyes full of concern. "What's the matter?"

Katara just shook her head. "I'm fine - it's fine."

"Listen to me, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," Aang said, laying a hand on her shoulder firmly. "It's just paying your respects to Agni. Nothing to be worried about."

That was when the entire shrine burst into flames and there was a horrible howling roar that echoed through the temple and sent everyone scattering for cover, leaving Katara alone in the middle of the floor, with no one between her and the flaming shrine.

"WHERE IS SHE?" a terrible voice bellowed, and the flames coalesced into the figure of a man, who then took two giant strides forward. "STAND FORWARD, WATERBENDER!"

Katara was frozen. The Spirit of Fire was here. He was here, and he was going to kill her, and she was going to burn alive, and she would never see her family again. That was how this was going to go.

And then she remembered the pouch of water at her side, beneath her Air Nomad robes, and felt marginally more comforted. She might be able to put herself out if she caught fire. Then she realized Agni was waiting for her. She undid the Air Nomad clothing with shaking hands - if she was to face the Spirit of Fire, she might as well do it as herself - then stood forward.

He was still roaring for the waterbender, and every time he did, the torches in the temple would flame higher and higher. The Air Nomads and Fire Sages had all fled. Good - Katara didn't want anyone else getting hurt.

She took a step forward, toward the main shrine where the man of flames stood. "H-here," she started, then forced her voice into some semblance of confidence. "Here."

The man glared down at her. His eyes were like twin suns, shining brighter than the rest of the flames he was made of. " _You_ ," he said, and his voice was so furious, so venomous, Katara thought it was a wonder that she didn't burn to ashes on the spot.

He sent a whip of fire flying at her, so fast she hardly saw it. She felt it, however, as it hit her in the side and left a blistering burn across her ribs. Before she could do much more than gasp, a second fire whip was flying at her from the other side. She tried to raise her arms to protect herself, but that only earned her more lashes. She screamed. Her knees buckled, and she crashed to the floor. The blows continued, and it was all she could do to curl herself into a fetal position and hope the fiery onslaught stopped. Then she felt a pool of water near her fingertips - her pouch had been split by one of the fire spirit's hits and her water was soaking into the thick carpet. Acting with some last reserve of energy she didn't know she had, she bent her little pool into a dagger of ice and sent it flying toward her attacker.

The ice blade hit one of the fire whips as it was coming at her and exploded in a hiss of steam. The Spirit of Fire stopped; whether it was from confusion or from utter contempt, she didn't know. Katara lay on the scorched floor of the temple, her arms, legs, and sides blistered and blackened from the attack. She had a searing burn on one of her cheeks, and she was fairly certain her hair had been burnt as well.

"Were you trying to defend yourself, little water savage?" the Spirit of Fire asked, and his voice was darkly amused.

Katara couldn't bring herself to answer; it hurt too much. It was taking all she had to stay conscious and face her end with some semblance of dignity.

"A warrior spirit, or some gleam of it," Agni mused, looking down at her with those blazing eyes of his.

Katara, struggling as white spots closed in on her vision, tried to push herself up on one arm. The Spirit of Fire laughed.

"Still trying! Now I see why my son was adamant about you," Agni said, and he sounded begrudgingly respectful now.

At the mention of Zuko, Katara froze, her eyes wide. Agni studied her face, his own fiery eyes narrowing. "You are not worthy of him," he said finally, and his voice was contemptuous as he raised his arm to deliver the final blow.

"No," Katara rasped, and the Spirit of Fire paused again. "Let - me - prove it," she ground out from behind teeth gritted in pain.

"You wish to prove your worth, waterbender? To _me,_ the Spirit of Fire?" Agni laughed again. "For what? Your life?"

"For - Zuko," she said. "I never meant - to hurt - him - " She broke off as she coughed; the smoke from the smoldering temple was getting to her. The coughing made her sides explode in agony, and she doubled over for a moment, then forced herself to straighten and look up at the Spirit of Fire. "I want - to ask his - forgiveness."

"Warrior spirit," Agni said quietly, and lowered his arm. "You have strength, waterbender. Though you earned my wrath, you say you wish to make amends. Fine. I will set you these tasks. First, you must go to the top of Mount Xiangchen and retrieve for me snow from its highest peak. Next, you must travel to the land of the Sun Warriors and bring me back the scale of a dragon. And finally, you must go to Koh the Face Stealer and ask him for a certain box that belongs to me. If you can complete these tasks, I will allow you to go to my son and make your apologies, and then I will let you go with your life."

"My thanks… Spirit of Fire," Katara said, though her heart felt like it was falling through the floor. Three impossible tasks…

"If you _fail_ ," Agni continued, and his voice grew thunderous again, "you and your tribe will have the wrath of Agni visited on them for generations to come." With a wave of his hand, he repaired the damage to the temple he had caused. "Bring each item back to me here." He took a step back onto the shrine, and then he was gone.

Katara collapsed to the floor, shaking. Tears began to leak from her eyes as all her nerves screamed in pain. Water… she just needed water… then she could heal herself… but it was hopeless anyway. Impossible…

That was her last thought before she blacked out.

* * *

 **A/N:** Perhaps I should up the rating to T... That last bit was a bit violent, now that I'm reading it over. I'll stick with the warning for now, though. Thoughts?

Updates will now be a bit slower (ha, daily updates - you lot have been SO SPOILED) since this is the last chapter I have fully written right now, though Chapter Eight is in the works and should be done fairly soon.

Tell me what you think of this one, yeah?


	8. Chapter 8

She slowly swam back to consciousness, fuzzy shapes and blobs of color moving across her vision. Her sides and limbs still burned with every tiny movement. Voices started to make sense.

"Katara?" a concerned voice was asking.

"She's still alive," another, calm voice said.

Katara let out a croak as she tried to ask for water. Her eyelids fluttered, and it felt like it took years for her to force her eyes to open. There was Aang, hovering over her, looking worried, with another airbender beside him.

"We should get her water - she's a waterbender," Aang said. "Maybe she can heal herself."

"Wise thoughts, Acolyte Aang," the other airbender said in her calm voice. "Why don't you ask the Fire Sages where some water could be found?"

"Right, yeah. Got it," Aang said, springing up.

"Just lie still, Katara," the airbender woman told her softly, laying a cool hand on Katara's forehead as tears of pain began to run down Katara's cheeks. "We are bringing you water. No one else was hurt."

Some of the tension went out of Katara's shoulders. No one else had suffered the wrath of the Spirit of Fire. That was good. The Air Nomads and the Fire Sages hadn't done anything to deserve Agni's anger.

Aang appeared in her vision again, bearing a full jug of water. "Here," he said, his large grey eyes wide with concern. He helped Katara into a sitting position so she could get to the water, and it was all she could do to keep herself from screaming out loud. The airbender woman gently guided her hand to the jug, and Katara managed to get some flowing over her hand.

"My side…" she whispered. That was where it hurt the most. The airbender woman got the idea and set Katara's water-covered hand over her injured ribs. Katara sagged back in Aang's arms as the water began to glow blue. The relief was indescribable. Once one side was mostly healed, she moved her hand slowly to the other side of her ribs. After finishing there, she started in on her arms and legs, stopping every so often to refresh the water in her hands. The airbenders watched in amazement as her burns healed miraculously under the glowing water.

When Katara had finished healing herself most of the major burns were completely gone, though there were still some that were pink and tender to the touch; she had begun to run out of energy by the end. She picked up the jug and drained it, relieving her dry and sore throat.

"Why… why did he attack like that?" Aang asked, sounding shaken.

Katara shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Aang. I should have warned you all…" She told them her history with the Spirit of Fire (and his son) and about the impossible tasks he had set her and the ultimatum he'd left with. Aang and the other airbender listened, eyes wide but compassionate.

"We will help you get to the Earth Kingdom," the woman said, laying a soft hand on Katara's shoulder.

"Yeah! You can ride on Appa," Aang said, mustering up a grin.

"Really?" Katara asked, looking between the two of them. "But I'm a danger to all of you - if the Spirit of Fire decides he's angry with me again - "

"The Spirit of Fire may be quick to anger, but he is also a spirit of honor," the older woman said. "If he has set you these tasks, he will not interfere."

Katara felt the hopelessness of her situation rising up to overwhelm her again. "But how will I do all those things? Snow from the highest peak in the Earth Kingdom? A scale from a dragon? A trinket from Koh the Face Stealer? In the _Spirit World_?" She shook her head. Her lip had started to tremble. "I can't."

"Your people are counting on you, Katara," the airbender woman said in her soft voice. "They need you. You cannot turn your back on them now."

"And there's also Zuko," Aang added. "You need to settle that as well, for closure, if not reconciliation. Forgiveness is always the way to go."

Katara set her jaw. "You're right. I can't turn my back on the people who need me. Ever."

o0o

Agni, Spirit of Fire, stood in the doorway to his son's room and watched him, concerned. Zuko's face still had not healed, even after several days of treatment. Zuko himself had been feverish and weak since he returned home.

Agni's brow furrowed. This was all because of the waterbender. He was still of two minds about killing her. On the one hand, she had shown spirit and determination in seeking him out - even if it was simply to apologize to his son, which he doubted. There was clearly something else motivating _that_ particular request. On the other, she was responsible for the pain of his favorite son and that was enough to earn his anger, not to mention the fact that her arrogance about her bending had been what had caused this whole thing in the first place.

The other thing that had made him hold back was that Zuko had tried to protect this waterbender, multiple times, and he wanted to know why, and if his son's fascination with this mortal would last. And maybe, just maybe, he was curious to see how far she got in this little test of his. The first task was not totally impossible, but the second was almost certain to get her killed, and there was no way conceivable that she could complete the third.

Agni snorted. Prove herself worthy of his son, indeed. As if a waterbender, scion of Tui and La, those pathetic things, could ever be worthy.

o0o

Zuko's face was burning, as if the hot oil was still splashing on it, over and over again. He was alternately racked with chills and bouts of extreme heat; drenched in sweat yet shivering. His father hadn't yet come in to see him, and Zuko was glad of this, because his father's anger and promises of vengeance only made him worry about Katara, and then made him angry with himself for being worried since she clearly hadn't cared about him enough to respect his word, and the internal conflict only made his face throb the worse.

"Zuko?" came a deep voice from the doorway and Zuko only just held back a groan. Speaking of. He rolled over to face the door and squinted at his father, who was again a man of flames.

"Yes, Father?" he croaked. His face was in agony. Nothing the spirits had done had helped.

"I found the waterbender today," Zuko was informed, and everything stood still for a moment.

"Where?" he breathed, all he could manage. His _face_ … it was worse than ever all of a sudden.

His father scoffed. "My own temple in the capital! I taught her a lesson," he said, watching Zuko closely.

Zuko sank back on the bed; he had half-risen at the news that Katara had been found. "Is she dead?" he asked, though his throat had a lump in it threatening to cut off his voice and there was a horrible, hollow feeling in his chest.

"She is not," Agni said, and Zuko's good eye flew open in surprise. His father was still watching him with an inscrutable expression on his face. "She has a warrior spirit," he said, somewhat begrudgingly, "and she wanted the chance to prove her loyalty. She wants to ask your forgiveness. So I set her three tasks. If she completes them, she will make her apologies."

"Tasks?" Zuko asked, seizing upon the least compromising thing in his father's declaration. _Alive_. She was alive. The warmth that he suddenly felt toward her nearly overwhelmed him. She already had his forgiveness, had gotten it as soon as he heard she was trying to come back to him. His face had stopped burning quite so badly.

"Yes, three of them," Agni replied. "They are quite difficult."

"What are they?" Zuko asked. Perhaps, in some behind-the-scenes way, he could help her - without his father finding out, of course.

"She must retrieve snow from the highest peak of the Earth Kingdom, bring back a scale from a dragon of the Sun Warriors, and then fetch me a thing of mine that Koh the Face Stealer has had in his possession for far too long."

All the color drained from Zuko's face. "That - is quite the set of tasks," he said. He was sending her to treat with Koh the Face Stealer? His passionate, quick-tempered Katara? Zuko squeezed his good eye shut. No, he couldn't think on that now. The snow he was fairly certain she could handle - she was a waterbender, after all. A scale from a dragon of the Sun Warriors. The Sun Warriors had always accorded him a certain amount of respect; he could put in a word for her like he had done with Vaayu the Air Spirit.

Resolved, Zuko let out a huge yawn. "I am tired, Father."

A small smile crossed the Spirit of Fire's face. "I will let you rest, my son." He laid one flaming hand on Zuko's shoulder, then left. Zuko rolled over to face the wall, a secret smile on his own face.

His face no longer felt as though it was on fire.

* * *

 **A/N:** This actually took me a lot less time to finish than I thought it would... *shrugs* Another fast update for you lot, I suppose!

Guest (1) and Guest (2): Thank you both for the reviews! I appreciate the love :) I'm glad you like the story so far.

So, plans are made! Hope you liked the Zuko POV; I hope I kept him in-character.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story so far! (Also, if you haven't read the Percy Jackson version of this myth yet, you should do. It's absolutely hilarious and I want to share it with as many people as possible :)


	9. Chapter 9

It took three days for Appa to fly Aang and Katara to the highest mountain in the Earth Kingdom, Mount Xiangchen. Katara spent the time alternating between marveling at the feel of flying - Appa was fast, but not so fast that she couldn't be fascinated by the patchwork land passing under them - and worrying about the tasks. The main problem she faced with this one wasn't taking the snow back to the Fire Nation. She could handle snow, she was a waterbender. No, it was getting to the top of the mountain. She and Aang had agreed that the Spirit of Fire would not be pleased if he just flew her to the top of the mountain; it seemed like cheating, and Katara didn't want to cheat with something as important as this - or at all, really. So she would have to climb it on her own. Aang had lent her a heavy cloak ("It gets cold up in the southern Earth Kingdom," he'd explained with a wide smile) and taken her right up to the foot of the mountain that morning, where a small town called Gaoling rested.

"I believe in you, Katara," Aang said, clasping her arm before she slid off of Appa.

"Thank you, Aang," Katara replied warmly, managing a smile to give him, making him turn the slightest shade of pink and rub his head, bashful.

"Well - good luck," Aang told her, and she nodded. "Appa, yip yip!" The sky bison lofted into the air and wheeled, heading toward the Northern Air Temple.

Katara let herself take one big breath to try and calm her racing heart before she set up the mountain.

It wasn't hard going at first. The mountain had some gentler slopes near its base, and it was summer, so the trees were green and there were meadows with sparrowkeets and jackalopes. But the trees started to become shorter and more scraggly, and the wildlife became less and less prominent, until she'd climbed to the point where the trees were nearly nonexistent, and all she could see was hard rock. It had become harder and harder to breathe as she went on, and her legs and arms were exhausted - it felt as though there were weights attached to them. After she'd been climbing for about six hours - the sun was now directly overhead, Katara sat down to rest for a while. The hardest part of the climb was still ahead - jagged stone cliffs rose above her, ice glistening in their crevices. She would have to climb all the way up them, and then back down - !

Thankfully she had some supplies left; she'd bought some moose-lion jerky from the town the previous night as well as some extra drinking water, along with the water she had in her bending pouch. Aang had offered his food but most of the vegetarian fare of the Air Nomads was light, and she needed something a little more… substantial if she was going to be climbing mountains.

Refreshed after her break (though the exhaustion returned quickly), Katara turned to the cliffs. She managed to make it up quite a ways before she started even using her bending (though she had been keeping a small platform of ice beneath her so if she slipped, there would be something to catch her). She used her water to create ice spikes, sending them flying into the rock and sticking them there to use as hand- and foot-holds. Then, after she climbed up past them, she'd bend them up after her and use them again. After fifteen minutes of this, Katara had to bend herself a ledge of ice to sit on. She was terribly out of breath, and the sun reflecting off the ice was starting to make her head ache. And a new fear was entering her mind: what if she didn't make it back before dark? She didn't want to fall and break her neck or something equally horrible; this far up on the mountain, no one would be able to help her in time.

The wind had picked up as the day wore on, and Katara was glad for the cloak Aang had given her. Her borrowed Air Nomad clothes (her old Water Tribe ones had been burnt in Agni's attack) were warm and tough, but another layer definitely helped block the wind. The tips of her fingers were going numb, even with the gloves she had bought along with the food.

But she had to keep going.

It was about four in the evening when she finally reached the summit. The air was extremely thin, and she was breathing heavily just standing still. She wouldn't be able to stay up here for long. The wind pulled at her, reminding her of the top of the ice cliffs before Vaayu had swept her away. She quickly bent a large chunk of snow from the side of the glacier - even that was an effort - and turned back toward the cliffs. The sun was still fairly high in the sky, though the shadows were growing longer. Katara's lungs ached, and her head still hurt. Gritting her teeth, she dug her feet in and bent herself a sort of ice slide down the cliff a ways. Then she bent herself a spike of ice to slow her momentum and slid down, taking from the top as she went down to add to the bottom of the slide. When she reached the bottom of the cliffs, she stopped to take a breather. Her hands were shaking from the strain of bending so much without as much oxygen as she was used to.

It took Katara about ten minutes for her to regain some energy - _ten minutes of lost daylight,_ she thought, forcing herself to stand up and continue on. She was past the worst part, really. _It's all downhill from here,_ she thought, laughing slightly. The snowball was clutched tightly in her left hand; she didn't want to change it from its original form in case that violated the terms of the task, so there would be no storing it in her bending pouch as water for convenience.

There was no warning - one moment she was trudging down the steep mountainside, the next she was lying flat on her back, gasping up at the darkening sky far, far above. All the air had left her lungs, and her not-quite-fully-healed burns flared in protest with the impact. All she could do was gasp until her lungs finally decided to work again, and she sat up slowly, blinking the white dots out of her eyes. Gingerly, Katara felt the back of her head and winced. There was a goose egg forming already, and she probably had a concussion. Moving slowly still, she pulled some water out of her bending pouch, covered her hand with it, and set her hand gently to the back of her head, sighing as the cool water healed her.

It was then that she realized she was no longer holding the snowball, and she leapt up in a panic, looking around for it frantically. She spotted it a few yards away and dashed over to it (a movement she regretted as soon as she did it, due to her injuries), snatching it up. It looked fine, but she was afraid it would start melting; this cave - or whatever she'd fallen into - was sheltered almost entirely from the icy wind and so was much warmer than the mountainside. Then she shook her head. She was a _waterbender._ She'd just have to keep an eye on it.

Suddenly, Katara heard an ominous rumbling from her left, and whipped out a stream of water, ready for an attacker or to bend herself out of the way of a rockslide or cave-in. She did not expect a massive badgermole to come bursting through the wall, coming to a halt right in front of her. She also did not expect the small girl who appeared from behind its leg, with pale eyes and a familiar smirk.

"Hey, Sugar Queen," said Toph. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm back! I took a short break from FFN for a while, but I will now be back on and Chapter 10 is in the works! Thank you, Guest, for the review on Chapter 8. I love hearing your thoughts - everybody's thoughts!

So, with that in mind... Thoughts on this chapter? ;)


	10. Chapter 10

" _Toph?_ " Katara said, nearly losing control of her water. "Tui and La, you scared me! And why are you under this mountain? And what are you doing with a badgermole - "

"Geez! Calm down!" the younger girl said, looking alarmed. "I live in Gaoling. I come up here to practice my earthbending with these guys. We were just messing around, opening up shafts and that kind of thing, and then I felt someone fall down here, so I came to check it out. And again, what are _you_ doing here? I thought you were supposed to be going to the Fire Nation." Toph crossed her arms over her chest.

"I was," Katara said, with a laugh that could be considered somewhat hysterical. "I _did_ go to the Fire Nation. I met Agni, and he set me three impossible tasks."

"What?" Toph's normally unshakable facade broke with her surprise. "This, I have to hear." The little earthbender bent two seats out of the cavern floor. Katara sat down heavily in one and told Toph about her mission.

"Well, they're not so impossible," scoffed Toph. "You're pretty much done with the first one," she pointed out.

"Getting a scale from a dragon? And I don't even know where the Sun Warriors are! Not to mention I have to get to the _Spirit World_!" Katara exclaimed, incredulous. Then she sighed. "But if I fail these tasks, Agni takes it out on my family and the rest of my people."

"Harsh," said Toph, with an air of not really knowing what else to say. Katara stared down at the snowball in her glove.

"You said it," she agreed quietly.

"Hey," Toph said, standing up and walking over until she stood next to Katara. Then the younger girl punched Katara in the arm. Katara yelped, one hand automatically summoning up a water whip. A smile appeared on Toph's face. "That's more like it," she said. "Stay on your toes. You're some kind of master waterbender, right? Act like it!"

"Ex _-cuse_ you," Katara grumbled, sending her water back into her bending pouch, but the earthbender's confidence was definitely a boost to her own.

"If you're done moping, I can get you back to town," Toph said, opening up a hole in the wall with one stomp of her feet. Katara stood up. Her back ached, and the muscles in her legs protested at the sudden movement, but she managed to follow Toph through the tunnel. The younger girl pounded out a path through the mountain as they went along, thrusting forward with her fists and feet. Katara was soon following her by sound alone - the light from the hole she'd fallen through was long since gone. She had no idea how long they'd been walking.

"Almost there," Toph said after what had seemed like hours of nothing but the sound of her bending, and there was the sound of smashing rock, and Katara could suddenly see again. It was dark outside, but lighter than it had been inside the mountain - the moon was nearly full. The lights of the town glowed softly not too far away. She turned to Toph. "Thank you," she said, and the younger girl gave her a cocky smirk and a two-fingered salute.

"Any time, Sugar Queen," she said. "You gonna be good?"

Katara took a deep breath. "I guess I have to be," she replied, and Toph laughed.

"There you go. I'll see you again," she declared. "After all this is over. You'll see." Katara was inexplicably touched by Toph's confidence in her, and impulsively pulled her into a hug.

"Whoa! Hey!" Toph shouted, her arms flailing, and Katara pulled back, a smile on her face, though she knew the other girl wouldn't see it.

"Thank you," she repeated, and Toph rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Get going - that snowball's going to melt," she pointed out. Katara checked it reflexively - it was still frozen.

"Goodbye, Toph," she said, starting down the slope. Toph waved, then slammed the side of the mountain closed behind her as she went back into the tunnel.

o0o

It took Katara about a week and a half to get back to the Fire Nation. She made it to the coast and traveled through the ocean for most of the journey, though she never got too far from the land. By the time she made it to the capital again, there were dark circles under her eyes, her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes were stained and dirty. She drew a lot of strange looks as she made her way to the temple of Agni, her snowball clutched in her hand.

When she stepped into the temple, all the Fire Sages stopped what they were doing, staring at her with wide eyes. She took another step forward and they all tensed.

"I'm here to fulfil the first task," she said, looking at each one in turn. No one said anything, and so she continued walking forward, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpeting, until she reached the main shrine. She took a deep breath, then held out the snowball in her right hand.

"Agni, Spirit of Fire!" she shouted, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I bring you snow from the peak of the highest mountain of the Earth Kingdom!" Her hand trembled as she vividly remembered the last time she had stood here. What if the Spirit of Fire wasn't satisfied? There was a low rumble, and the man of flames appeared in front of the shrine. His eyes still glowed like suns, but he didn't seem angry this time - his face was impassive. He stretched out a hand, and the snowball lifted out of Katara's open hand and hovered in front of him.

"Acceptable," he said finally, in a grudging tone. "You know your next task." Then he disappeared with a blinding flash of light.

Katara sank to her knees in relief, not caring that all the Fire Sages were staring at her with open mouths. She took a moment there, reveling in the feeling of being alive and successful in her mission. Then she got to her feet, looking around at the Fire Sages.

"You wouldn't happen to know where the Sun Warriors can be found, would you?" she asked.

The Fire Sages stared back at her, silent.

Katara sighed. "That's what I thought. In that case, do you think I could use your library? You do have one, don't you?"

The chief Fire Sage stepped forward. "Right this way, Master Katara."

* * *

 **A/N:** I know this is really short, and I _am_ sorry. I offer AP tests and graduation as an excuse - make of that what you will. I did want to get something out without going off the grid for another month and a half so here's Chapter 10.

Thank you, Guest, for your review, and also, PaolaRavenclaw - I'm glad you're liking the story!

Feel free to tell me your thoughts on this chapter (if it isn't too short)!


	11. Chapter 11

For all the trouble the Fire Nation had caused Katara lately, she had to admit they excelled when it came to libraries. She had been led to a small hallway behind the shrine that opened up into the massive library - shelves and shelves of scrolls, going almost all the way to the ceiling. Detailed tapestries hung on the stone walls, depicting various Fire Nation myths, as well as the early Fire Lords. There were small tables every few shelves at which one could sit and read.

The Fire Sages led her to the section containing the scrolls about the Sun Warriors, and left her with a respectful bow. Katara set to work.

About ten minutes after the Fire Sages had left, a younger one came back in, bearing a folded stack of clothing. "For you, Master Katara," she said, then bowed and left before Katara could even thank her. Nonplussed, she returned to her perusing of the scrolls. As far as she could tell, the Sun Warriors were an ancient tribe of firebenders that lived in the southern part of the Earth Kingdom, near the Western Air Temple. One of the scrolls had mentioned their connection to the son of Agni, which sent a pang through her. They were also rumored to be very touchy. And how in Tui's name was she supposed to get a dragon's scale?

Katara took a deep breath, calming herself before she got overwhelmed again. She would have to _find_ the Sun Warriors before she could worry about getting dragon scales. She returned to her scrolls, but before she could keep reading, there was a knock on the side of the shelf behind her. She turned to see the same young Fire Sage, this time bearing a plate of hot food. "You didn't put on the clothes?" she said, looking a bit confused. "I thought you'd want to change."

"I - I was distracted," Katara said, surprised at the Fire Sages' sudden accommodating spirit. The other girl smiled a little.

"That's all right, then. You should eat, though. You won't be able to do the rest of your tasks if you're fainting from hunger."

"Thank you, but why are you suddenly being helpful?" Katara asked, suspicious.

The Fire Sage smiled. "Some of us are not solely devoted to Agni. His son also commands respect here. You are doing this on his behalf; we'll help you along."

"Thank you," Katara repeated, more sincerely this time. "What's your name?"

"Aya," the girl replied. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Katara said.

"Please, eat," Aya urged. "I'll leave you so you'll have some privacy." She bowed once more and walked away. Katara smiled a little at the kindness, then turned to the plate that Aya had brought. There was meat, rice, flatbread, and some kind of thick, spicy sauce that made her eyes water when she sniffed it. Her stomach rumbled; she'd been hungrier than she thought. The food was gone in under ten minutes, and Katara was left feeling comfortably full. She let out a contented sigh. Then she pulled some water from her bending pouch and washed up a little (making sure to stay far from the scrolls). After she'd finished, she put on the clothes that Aya had dropped off earlier. She was surprised at how well they fit. The clothing was in several pieces - pants and a knee-length overskirt, and a top that left her midriff and one shoulder bare. It was all in various shades of red, but she supposed it would have been too much to expect otherwise. It reminded her a little bit of the clothes at the mansion - many of them had been in a similar style, though she'd always picked the ones that were closest to what she'd wear at home.

Katara went back to the table with all her scrolls she'd pulled down, sifting through them until she found the one with the map that marked (vaguely) the Sun Warriors' location. She stared down at it for a long time, trying to memorize it as best she could, but her mind couldn't help but drift to Zuko. What was he doing? Was his face healed? Would he even want to see her if she completed these tasks?

The next thing she knew, her shoulder was being shaken and a voice was saying, "Master Katara? Master Katara, wake up!" Katara opened her eyes to see Aya's concerned face and warm amber eyes above her.

"I'm sorry," she said, sitting up. "I must have fallen asleep studying." A rueful smile crossed her face.

"Did you find the location of the Sun Warriors?" Aya asked, her eyes widening.

"I think so," Katara said, glancing down at the map she'd been reading.

"You'd better be off, then," Aya told her. "Some of the other sages aren't as keen on having you around for much longer."

"Thank you for everything, Aya," Katara said, gathering her things.

"You're welcome, Master Katara."

o0o

It took Katara several days to return to the Earth Kingdom ( _yet again_ ) and begin her search for the Sun Warriors in earnest. It took longer than she was expecting - the jungle in that part of the Earth Kingdom was thick and dense, and the map she was using didn't give very many specifics.

It was two weeks after she'd arrived in the Earth Kingdom, and the sun was brutally hot that day. Sweating, she shoved through a dense thicket and was suddenly presented with an entire city, sprawling out in a massive clearing, mountains towering behind it.

Well, then. That must be the Sun Warriors.

Katara made it halfway across the clearing before two men sprang out of seemingly nowhere, spears in one hand and a fistful of flame in the other.

"Halt!" one of them shouted. "Who are you?"

Katara had instinctively pulled out some of her bending water out in a protective barrier; she kept it hovering in her hand as she realized they weren't attacking her.

"The waterbender!" the other guard exclaimed, and they lowered their spears and extinguished their flames. Katara looked between the two of them, confused.

"You knew I was coming?" she asked.

"Our priests have ordered all of us to be on the lookout for a waterbender," one of the guards - the taller of the two - told her. "You are to be escorted to the main temple immediately."

Still confused as to how they knew about her, Katara allowed herself to be led into the city. Tan stone buildings rose high in the air, taller than any in all the other cities she'd seen without earthbenders. The streets were busy, but as people caught sight of her, a hush fell. Katara hunched her shoulders a little, then forced herself to walk tall.

They approached a pagoda in the center of the town, much like the temple of Agni in the Fire Nation capital. A man dressed in all red and an elaborate feathered headdress waited at the top of the stairs to the pagoda.

"The waterbender, High Priest," the shorter guard said when they reached him.

The man's stern face broke into a smile. "Ah! Finally!" he exclaimed. "We expected you days ago."

"I - I'm sorry, but _what_ is going on?" Katara demanded. "How did you know I was coming?"

The High Priest regarded her calmly, despite her sudden outburst. "The Son of Agni still shows you favor, young one," he said, and Katara stared at him.

"Zuko told you I would be coming to you?" she asked slowly.

"He visited this temple several days ago and told us of your task," the High Priest informed her. "We are more than happy to assist his chosen one."

Katara struggled to keep the hope off of her face. _His chosen one?_ He was still trying to help her, even after all she'd done to him. "So you know what I have to do," she said instead.

"Retrieve a dragon scale," the High Priest confirmed. "We will do our best to prepare you, but - "

"You can't interfere," Katara said, nodding.

"Precisely," said the High Priest. "The dragons live in the mountains above the city. Do your best not to harm them, for they are noble beasts, and sacred to the Fire Nation. Now, we have something for you." He motioned to a similarly dressed man beside him, who stepped forward and presented her with a small pouch. She accepted it and peered inside curiously. The pouch contained a white, waxy substance that had a sharp sort of smell and left a thin coating on her fingers when she touched it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"This is a substance of our own design that will fireproof you and your belongings while you are facing off with the dragons," the other priest told her with a respectful nod. She looked inside the pouch again, newly appreciating the strange stuff.

"We have also arranged provisions for you," the High Priest continued. "You may rest here in the city tonight; we have prepared a place for you to stay. Come," he said, imperiously, starting down the stairs.

Katara could do nothing but follow, left speechless by the hospitality being shown her.

o0o

The next day Katara awoke at dawn and collected her things, preparing to venture into the mountains. The Sun Warrior priests gathered around her at the edge of the city to see her off; she said goodbye to them warmly. They had fed her a better meal than she'd had in days, and she had slept well. Now she was refreshed and ready to face a dragon.

At least, that was what she thought, until she caught her first glimpse of one, soaring sinuously above the tree line. It was _massive_ , and Katara swallowed nervously. But she continued on.

The Sun Warriors had given her leather packs containing enough provisions for a week. If she wasn't back in a week, they had told her, they would assume she had been killed. With that comforting thought in mind, Katara set out, trying to find the cave of a dragon.

* * *

 **A/N:** I... have no excuses except mad writer's block when it comes to this story. Thank you to the people who followed this story recently and after Chapter 10 was posted; you gave me the motivation to get this out.

Again, I know it''s kind of short, but I figured a short chapter was better than nothing at all...

Thank you, Guest, and Makdawg52, for your reviews to the last chapter :)

Tell me what you think, s'il vous plait?


	12. Chapter 12

Zuko managed to hold out two days after the Sun Warriors had let him know that Katara had come. After that he'd thrown caution to the wind and transformed into his golden dragon form. His father was away in the realm of the sky, conversing with the Sun, so Zuko felt confident in his ability to check in on Katara without drawing his father's attention.

The Sun Warriors did not seem surprised when the massive golden dragon touched down in the center of the plaza and transformed into a young man. They all bowed respectfully, of course — such was the honor accorded to him as a son of Fire — but he'd never liked too much pomp and circumstance, and his people knew that. He strode into the main temple, where the High Priest stood.

"Lord Zuko," the man said respectfully, folding over into a bow. When he straightened, his face was impassive. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

"The waterbender," Zuko said without preamble. "Have you had any word of her?"

The High Priest shook his head. "She left yesterday."

Zuko began to pace on the marble floor, his shoes tapping quietly on the polished surface. "Do you know what direction she was headed?"

"West, I believe," the High Priest replied calmly.

"West," Zuko mumbled. He knew of several dragons that lived around there, so she should have no trouble in finding one. "And you gave her the fireproofing?"

"Yes, Lord Zuko," the High Priest said, the tiniest of edges in his voice.

Zuko paced back and forth three more times before pausing again. "Do you — "

"My Lord, if you are so concerned, perhaps you should go find her yourself," the High Priest said.

Zuko looked up at him, then suddenly transformed into a dragon and flew out of the temple.

The High Priest let out a long-suffering sigh.

o0o

Katara had been on the lookout for a dragon's cave for quite some time now. The dragon she'd seen earlier had not reappeared. The mountains in the distance had not grown any closer. Sweat was dripping down her back and her mouth was dry; the day had grown miserably hot.

She trudged on for another three hours before finally stopping to drink some water and take out the food the Sun Warriors had given her. She had to admit, this task was becoming frustrating — though she knew it was never supposed to be easy. The fireproofing would help protect her, but any dragon was still much larger and stronger than her. There were teeth and claws and a tail to deal with as well. Her best bet would be to try to catch it sleeping, if she were to survive this.

There was a loud rush of air in the canopy above, and Katara looked up to see a magnificent golden dragon hovering in the air. She flattened herself against the tree she had been sitting under and held her breath, afraid to make the slightest sound, lest it heard her. The dragon beat its wings, staying stationary in the air, and moved its head from side to side as if it were looking for something. Finally it gave one huge flap of its wings and launched straight up into the air, flying in an easterly direction, away from the mountains.

Katara let out her breath and peeled herself away from the tree slowly. She waited a few minutes for her heart rate to settle, then steeled herself and continued on toward the mountains.

It took her two days to reach the foot of the mountains. In that time she had seen the golden dragon twice more, but it had never spotted her. She could see a cave about halfway up, nestled among the rocks, and she decided to stake it out, to see if any dragons lived in it.

Fortunately, the cave did appear to be occupied. Unfortunately, the occupant was a spectacularly huge ruby-colored dragon, who emerged but once a day and whose body nearly took up the entire entrance to the cave when he did come out.

But she was running out of food, and her people's lives depended on her. So she screwed up her courage and approached the cave. She had smeared the fireproofing substance over her clothes, hair, and skin, and though she felt sticky and clumsy, she knew she would be safe. Water hovering over the palm of her hand, she crept into the cave and paused, taking stock of her surroundings.

The cave was lit by a dim ruby glow that came from the sleeping dragon that lay at the end of the tunnel. The walls were smooth from what Katara imagined had to be years of rubbing by the dragon's diamond-hard scales, and there was a disconcerting slope to the floor that made her feel almost as though she was being pulled down toward the dragon. But she went on.

A low rumbling shook the floor as she got closer, and she realized it was the dragon's breathing as it slept. She took care with every step, making sure she wouldn't trip over any loose stones on the cave floor and wake the dragon.

Suddenly, the red light grew brighter, and Katara froze as she realized the dragon was looking at her through one slit-pupiled eye. Its gaze was surprisingly intelligent, and she nearly took a step back.

 _They are wise and noble beasts,_ the High Priest's voice reminded her sternly. With that thought in her mind, she shakily folded herself into a bow.

"Great dragon, I come on a mission from Agni," she said, holding the bow. The massive dragon shifted in place, its coils sliding over themselves restlessly, but no flames came her way and she was not eaten. Somewhat heartened, she continued. "I must retrieve a scale from one of the great dragons for him, to give me the chance to earn his son's forgiveness. Will you help me?" She waited, eyes still on the ground, waiting with bated breath. Any second, she expected to feel the rush of flames or the sharp teeth of the dragon. Time passed by agonizingly slowly.

Then the dragon shifted once more, putting out its foreleg. It bent its head and tugged out one scale with its teeth. Scarlet blood trickled down the dragon's leg from the hole the scale had left. It made no sound of pain, though Katara couldn't imagine that it was not painful. The dragon gently set the scale into her hands - it was nearly the size of a closed fist, heavy, and warm to the touch. It shimmered with a strange red light, one that matched the dragon's eyes.

Katara set the scale down and bowed again. "Thank you, great dragon," she said. "I am a waterbender - would you allow me to heal your wound, in thanks?"

The dragon tilted its head to gaze down on her, as if considering. Finally, it extended its foreleg once more. Katara approached carefully - who knew if this was some kind of trick - and pulled her water out of her pouch. The dragon remained motionless as she healed the wound. She could not make the scale grow back, but she could at least stop the bleeding and make the skin less tender.

After she had finished, she bowed to the dragon once more - and the dragon seemed to incline its head back to her.

Then she left, the warm dragon scale in her hands.

o0o

Back in the city of the Sun Warriors, Katara was welcomed with a great feast. The people seemed amazed that she had survived her journey, but were all the more willing to celebrate for it.

In the midst of the festivities, she managed to find the High Priest, and showed him the dragon scale. "I wanted to thank you for your wisdom," she said. "It saved me from trying to fight a dragon!"

The High Priest smiled. "It was no trouble. May I see the scale?" Katara willingly handed it over. The High Priest examined it, his face going slack.

"Waterbender, this is no ordinary dragon's scale," he said, a look of awe on his face as he handed it back to her. "This is the scale of the Great Dragon Iroh, lord of the Mountains of the West and the lieutenant of Agni. You are truly special, for him to have given you this gift."

Katara's eyes were huge. She had met with one of the lieutenants of Agni… and lived? She couldn't believe it. She'd read a good deal about the fearsome lords of Fire while in the house with Zuko, and Iroh had been one of them. He was renowned in the Fire Nation for his unbending loyalty and prowess in battle. And he had given her one of his scales!

Perhaps she did stand a chance after all.

o0o

She returned to the Fire Nation after several more days with the Sun Warriors. She was considerably less bedraggled when she walked into the temple of Agni this time, and the Fire Sages looked even more surprised to see her. Katara caught a glimpse of Aya's beaming face as she approached the shrine of Agni in the center of the room.

"Agni!" she called out. "I have brought you the scale of the dragon Iroh, lord of the Mountains of the West!"

There was a noise like thunder and Agni appeared once more. He took the scale from her trembling hands and examined it closely.

"I commend you," he said finally, though it sounded like the words were drawn from him unwillingly. "Not many can gain the goodwill of my finest lieutenant. Yet you still have one more task, waterbender. And know if you fail, I shall bring my wrath down upon your people." He then disappeared in a swirl of multicolored flames.

Aya came forward to Katara's side as she slumped down, all adrenaline gone. "Let's get you something to eat," she said in her gentle voice.

o0o

In the Mountains of the West, a golden dragon came to rest just outside a large cave, transforming into a young man with a heavily burned face. He strode into the cave, seemingly without fear, marching on until he reached the dragon who lay inside.

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko said, bowing to the dragon. "You don't know how much this means to me."

 _You are welcome, Prince Zuko_ , the dragon's voice rumbled back in his mind. _And I think she will be good for you_.

* * *

 **A/N:** Soooooooooo... It's been a while. College has been more demanding than I thought it would be. However, I am still working on this story, and it is drawing ever nearer to its conclusion (there's only one task left, after all). Also this chapter _is_ a bit longer than my usual.

I would love to hear thoughts on this chapter (and/or the story in general) and if I still have any returning readers, thanks for sticking with me!

Thank you to tt76, SockMage, and our Guests for your reviews on the last chapter - I greatly appreciate them!


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